Top roller for spinning machines



Filed June 27, 1957 l 1..` n, luf.)

United States Patent 3,008,194 TOP ROLLER FOR SPINNING MACHINES Walter Sommer, Leonberg, Wurttemberg, Germany, as-

signor to SKF Kugellagerfabriken Gesellschaft mit beschrnkter Haftung, Schweinfurt, Germany, a company of Germany Filed June 27, 1957, Ser. No. 668,454 Claims priority, application Germany July 3, 1956 4 Claims. (Cl. 19-142) This invention relates to a top roller for spinning machines, and more particularly to the kind of top roller, whereby the gap between the bearing housing or any other stationary part and a roll of the top roller is sealed so that no ying fibrous matter can enter the gap and lubricants are prevented from leaking therefrom.

The primary object of my present invention is to generally improve top -rollers for spinning machines.

It is known that in top rollers as heretofore constructed the risk is very great that liying libre particles will penetrate into the interior of the rolls of a top roller through the gap formed by the bearing housing and a roll and will reach the bearing. Fibres which have penetrated in this manner absorb the lubricant contained in the space and form in the course of time into a solid ball and impede the rotation of the rolls.

In order to preclude such fly accumulation-s, attempts have already been made, in various constructions, to seal off the bearings by mounting `a sealing disc either on the rotating or on the non-rotating member, whereby the sea-ling disc was not allowed to touch the other member because this would cause a braking effect. It has been found that these sealing discs were not sufficient to prote-ct the interior from the penetration of iluff because tine libres penetrate even through a very narrow gap. Recently, therefore, there has been a tendency to construct the bearing housing and roll in such a manner that an angular gap was formed. -In addition, in some known constructions, a groove or a cavity was provided inside the rolls, the purpose of which groove or cavity was for the penetrating fibres to collect therein.

None of the hitherto known constructions overcomes the difliculties. The lubricant is still apt to leak out, and bres penetrate into the interior of rolls even through very narrow gapsand through angular gaps, which are conducive to the formation of y accumulation. It is true that the aforesaid cavities permit a longer running time before the top roller has to be dismounted for cleaning, but it is impossible to prevent ball-formation of the accumulated fibres and consequential hindrance to rotational mobility of the rolls.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above indicated disadvantages and to provide a top roller whereby the lubricant cannot leak from the rolls to the outside and libres cannot penetrate into the space between stationary and rotating parts.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means whereby the rolls are detachably connected to the stationary parts.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and other objects which will -appear hereinafter, my invention provides a construction which offers a satisfactory solution to the existing problems and consists in a top roller for spinning machines, that includes a pair of top rolls and comprises stationary and rotatable parts, an antifriction bearing to support the rotatable parts of each of the rolls, and a sealing ring for each roll. The rotatable parts of each roll include an outer race ring and -a sleeve fitted upon the outer race ring, and the bearing includes two series of balls. In accordance with the invention, each sealing ring is shaped to sealingly engage a stationary part and the respective outer race ring and sleeve.

3,068,194 Patented Nov. 14, 1961 ICC The specification is accompanied by a drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a view, partly in section, of one of two coaxial rolls of -a top roller for spinning machines, illustrating an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a view of the sealing ring as yused in the roll shown in FIG. l.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIG. l, a shaft 1, at one or the inner end thereof, is rigidly mounted in a lcenter member 2. A pivot 10 is forced onto the other or outer end of the shaft. Two such pivots, two such shafts, and the center member constitute the stationary parts of the top roller, which support the rotating parts. The assembly shown in FIG. 1 is Ia mirror image ofthe assembly not shown, the latter constituting the other roll of the top roller.

The shaft 1 is provided with two grooved raceways 3 v and 4 for balls 5 and 6, respectively. Between the two series of balls, there is an intermediate ring 7 which guides a ring 8. The latter forms the outer race ring of the bearing. The axial positioning of the ring 8 is effected by an annular spring 9.

=Fitted upon the outer race ring is a sleeve 12 which constitutes the roll proper, and placed around the Sleeve 12 is an elastic cover 11. The sleeve 12 is shown to be wider than the outer race ring 8, so that two cavities 21 are formed between the end portions of the sleeve, the end faces of the outer race ring, and an end portion of the pivot 10 and center member 2, respectively.

A sealing ring generally identified by 13 is provided within one cavity 2,1. The sealing ring has substantially the shape of a Y in a lying position, when viewed in cross section, the three branches or arms of the Y being designated 14, 20, and 22, The arm 14 is of a flangelike shape, as can clearly be seen from FIG. 2, and enters the space between annu-lar springs 15 and 16. These springs are received in matching grooves provided in the sleeve 12. At the end of the oppositely directed arm 22, there is formed a bead 17 Which has axial incisions 18 (see again FIG. 2) and engages a matching recess 19 in the outer race ring 8. Arm Ztl of ring 13 tapers toward the pivot 1) with which it is in circular contact.

The sealing ring is preferably made of resilient material, for instance7 polyamide resins. From FIG. l it can be seen that the sealing ring engages the pivot 10, the outer race ring 8, and the sleeve 12. The engagements are tight so as to prevent grease from escaping from the bearing to the outside, and fibrous matter and dust from penetrating to the inside.

It is believed that the construction of my invention and the many advantages thereof will be fully understood from the foregoing detailed description.

It will be clear that a characteristic feature of the invention is that the seal takes the form of a sealing ring which is substantially Y-shaped in cross-section and is provided with three arms. One arm is mounted on the sleeve, another arm tapers toward the stationary pivot with which it is in circular contact, and the third arm terminates in a radially llexible bead which, when the sleeve is pushed over the outer race ring, comes to rest in a corresponding recess in the outer race ring which rotates with the roll. The circular contact with the pivot is made by a lip which is not likely to produce any appreciable braking effect on the roll.

In accord-ance with one aspect of the invention, the sleeve is positioned axially on the outer race ring of the bearing by means of the sealing ring.

A further feature of the invention consists in the fact that the arm of the sealing ring, which is mounted on the sleeve, is preferably constructed in the form of a flange and is held in a xed position on the sleeve with the aid of annular springs.

Advantageously, the axial incisions are formed in the bead of the sealing ring so that the desired radial iiexibility is achieved. Y

It will be apparent that While I have shown and described rny invention in. a single formonly, many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the following claims.

I claim: l

l. Top roller for spinning machines, comprising a stationary shaft, a pivot having an inner end portion and being rigidly connected to the outer end of the shaft, two series of balls, the shaft being formed as the inner ball races, a rotating outer race ring having an outer end face, a sleeve fitted upon the outer race ring and having an outer end portion extending beyond said outer end face, the inner end portion ofthe pivot, the outer end face of the outer race ring, and the outer end portion of they sleeve dening an annular chamber, Iand a sealing ring received in said annular chamber, the sealing ring, when viewed Vin cross i section, being substantially Y-shaped and thus having three arms, one arm being interioriy mounted on the outer end portion of the rotating sleeve, one arm tapering toward the inner end portion of the stationary pivot and contacting the same circularly, and one arm terminating in a radially ilexible circular bead, the outer race ring being provided on the outer end face wtih a recess matchingly receiving the bead, the sealing ring, on the one hand, and the outer end portion of the sleeve, on the other hand, being provided with complementary means to secure the sealing ring in its position on the sleeve,

2. In the roller according to claim 1, said complementary vmeans including two annular springs, theouter end portion ofthe sleeve being interiorly provided with grooves kto partly receive said springs, said first named arm of the sealing ring being formed as a flange to tit between projecting portions of the annular springs, the sealing ring being held in position on the sleeve by the first named or flangelike arm iitting between said projecting portions.

3. The roller according to clairn 1, wherein the bead is formed with axially extending incisions rendering the bead radially yielding, so that the bead will engage the recess in' the outer race ring.

4. Top roller for spinning machines, including a shaft, a pivot, and a top roll, the shaft being rigidly connected at one end thereof to the pivot, the shaft and pivot constituting stationary parts, said roll including an outer race ring, a sleeve itted upon the outer race ring, a cover placed around the sleeve, and a scaling ring substantially of Y- shape and having three arms, when viewed in cross section, the outer race ring having an outer end face, the sleeve having an outer end portion extending beyond said outer end face, the pivot having an inner end portion, the outer surface of the inner end portion of the pivot, said outer end face of the outer race ring, and the inner surface of the outer end portion of the sleeve enclosing within said rollran annular chamber to receive said sealing ring, the three arms of the Y-shaped sealing lring sealingly engaging Vthe outer surface of the inner end portion of the pivot, the outer end :face of the outer race ring, and the inner surface of the outer end portion of the sleeve, respectively, the shaft being provided with two grooved raceways to support two series of balls, the grooved raceways, the balls, andthe outer race ring forming an antifriction bearing to support the roll on its shaft, the roll further including an intermediate ring extending between the series of balls.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Belgium Oct. 31, 1955 

